It may sound like an old line, but EMGs will take about 10 mins to install and are very punchy. They'll cost about as much as the Essex bass itself, but they'd be the easiest and best solution if you want punch and clarity. Forget about adding a BTC or something at first... it won't help. I did it to a P bass and it sucked. I put some EMG J pu's in another bass I had and the difference was night and day.